Tag Archives: Yankee Stadium

Speaking to reporters after the press conference at Yankee Stadium on Friday, Carlos Beltran was still upset with the Mets and for the first time he spoke publicly about his time with them.

“All the controversy about the Walter Reed,” Beltran said. “The knee — the organization trying to put me as a player that I was a ‘bad apple.’ I was this. I was that. I can deal with 0-for-4 and three strikeouts and talk to you guys. But when someone is trying to hurt you in a very personal way, trying to put things out there, then we got trouble. Now, it’s personal. When they say all that about me, I was hurt. You cannot believe the organization that signed you for seven years is trying to put you down. In that aspect, I felt hurt.”

Well, I’m surprised it took this long for him to speak out. The Mets screwed him over and always took advantage of any opportunity to make him look bad almost from day one in 2005 when someone leaked that he was soft. So Beltran played hurt and the numbers showed it.

Anyway, I’m glad he cleared his chest.

It wasn’t a knock on the Mets, his teammates or the fans whom he loved… It was a knock on the Mets’ owners… And I’m glad Beltran did it.

If the Mets really want outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, the way the landscape is shaking out they might have a to pony up over a $100-million package and they could have competition from the Yankees.

The Yankees might also present an obstacle should they want to pursue outfielder Curtis Granderson, whom was already given a $14.1 million qualifying offer.

The Mets need corner outfield help, but I’d be reluctant to go after either at those prices.

Choo has been a consistent player, but not an elite, upper-echelon talent worthy of over $100 million. The Mets say no more than four years and he’s nowhere near worth $25 million a season.

Granderson could be worth $60 million over four years, which approaches Jason Bay territory. Remember what happened there?

Granderson, who was injured last season, said this week he might take the qualifying offer and go through the process again. As far as the Mets thinking he’ll replicate the 40 homers he once hit for the Yankees, remember Citi Field isn’t Yankee Stadium – plus he’ll strike out over 140 times.

The New York Mets have had one iconic player in their history, that being Hall of Famer Tom Seaver.

Should he remain healthy and play out his contract at his current pace, they will have another in David Wright.

WRIGHT: On iconic path,

When Wright signed his mega-contract he did it with the idea of retiring a Met, just as Mariano Rivera is doing with the Yankees, and Derek Jeter will follow.

“I want to retire with the Mets,’’ Wright said. “That’s very important to me.’’

Wright isn’t boastful, but definitely proud of the way he’s perceived not only by his teammates and management, but the fans.

That is why, with nothing to play for, Wright worked hard to come back from his hamstring and hopes to be in the lineup tonight despite having a jammed thumb.

Wright, who has a Rivera jersey hanging in his locker, did not play Friday after being hit in the head the previous night and jammed his thumb as he fell.

With the baseball eyes of New York fixated on Rivera’s retirement and whether Robinson Cano will bolt the Yankees for the last dollar, Wright carries on almost unnoticed.

With the exception being his clubhouse, where Collins is most appreciative.

“I think when David Wright’s days are done here, he’ll be thought of in that light,’’ Collins said. “He’ll hold every record there is in this organization. He’ll have every offensive record there is.

“And I know one of the things you’ve heard and mentioned so many times [during the Yankee Stadium ceremony] was Mariano Rivera off the field, how he is in the clubhouse, how he is in real life. This guy is the same way.’’

You have two more days to enjoy Wright until next spring.

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It was a rough week for your Mets and the upcoming week doesn’t figure to get any easier.

Whatever good feelings developed at Wrigley Field quickly evaporated when they returned home to be swept by Cincinnati. They followed that with losing their first two against the Braves, with once again Dillon Gee running into that one buzz saw inning that shredded him. They conclude their series at Citi Field with Atlanta today behind 0-5 Shaun Marcum on the mound.

If there was a Game of the Week, it was Harvey’s no-decision Wednesday, in which they took him off the hook to keep him unbeaten.

The Met most in focus this week was Ike Davis, whose .148 average has him on the verge of being sent to Triple-A Las Vegas since before the Pittsburgh series. Davis can’t hit the high heat or low-and-slow breaking pitches. He’s lost at the plate and carried his funk out to the field.

Pitchers on this level give no quarter, and despite Davis’ proclamation he needs to learn to hit on this level, it is obvious this isn’t the place, not with quality arms against him and the cascading boos. That the Mets have waited this long is indication of their thin minor league system and lack of faith in those players down below.

The Mets escape the National League this week for the Subway Series, this time under the new format of two games each in Citi Field and Yankee Stadium. The Yankees are always a formidable obstacle for the Mets, but despite a bulk of their multi-million dollar talent on the disabled list, the Yankees are sizzling. It is sobering the Yankees’ minor leaguers and retreads are better than the Mets’ starters.

Jon Niese and Harvey start Monday and Tuesday, respectively, at Citi Field, where tickets – and plenty of them – are available. They can also be had at Yankee Stadium, an indication the interleague gimmick is cooling.

Interleague play has never appealed to me, but since it isn’t going away, this is a better Mets-Yankees format. Have the games dominate the week and be done with them. Four games are right while six is too many.

Everywhere he goes in his farewell tour Future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera visits with a selected group of fans and honored by the opposition. When the Yankees were in Cleveland, the home of Rock ‘n Roll, the Indians presented him a framed gold record of “Enter Sandman’’ his take-the-mound music as a gift. The Mets presented Chipper Jones with artwork of Shea Stadium.

The Mets will honor Rivera on Tuesday.

Noted for breaking bats with his fierce cutter, one of the best gift ideas I heard speculated was to presented him an autographed cracked bat from the opposition. It is such a novel idea.

I hope he gets one from David Wright. It is piling on, but I can’t help it, he won’t get one from Davis as that would mean making contact.

Yes, yes, that’s cruel. However, there is an element of truth to it, right?

The week ends in Miami for a series against the anonymous Marlins, whose lone reason for watching, Giancarlo Stanton, was injured when the teams last played.

Niese and Harvey are scheduled to go Saturday and Sunday.

Then comes June, but the good news is they can’t swoon any more than they already have.

Give the Yankees credit, when they want to put on a show few do it better.

CLASSY GESTURE

There was a moment of silence prior to the game – also one for former Giants player Pat Summerall – but a note of peace and unity on the scoreboard in honor of those killed and injured in Monday’s terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon.

It has become a cliche in troubled times to say tragedy goes beyond the rivalry, but it is true. Just as Boston and the nation supported New York after the September 11 attacks, the nation and New York has come to give its emotional support to Boston.

I flipped over to the Yankees game last night because I wanted to hear the Fenway Park anthem “Sweet Caroline,” sung at Yankee Stadium. Normally, it would sound out of place, as it did when the Mets played it several years ago. But last night, it felt normal, if not right. It was a great gesture that only could have worked at Yankee Stadium because of the nature of that rivalry.

It was heartwarming to hear and read about the reactions of Bostonians to “Sweet Caroline,” last night. It brought a good feeling while bad emotions were swirling.